The inner workings of an author's mind

Daily Archives: January 18, 2016

I mean, we all say it. It’s a truth. No matter what, there are going to be people that hate something, and they are going to be vocal about it. There’s nothing we can do about that. We can’t stop them from voicing their opinion, much less from having one. So it’s something we all need to accept.

I recently saw a meme that said something along the lines of “if you can’t handle criticism, then being a published author is not the job for you.”

Okay, to be clear, I haven’t seen a whole lot of bad criticism for my work. (Not to say that it’s not out there, it may be. I just haven’t seen it.) Sure, there have been some less than favorable reviews. But mostly, it’s been pretty good. And no, I don’t handle criticism well. My skin is sometimes not thick enough and it hurts.

But the truth is, no matter what I write, someone out there isn’t going to like it. Hands down, no matter what, there is absolutely going to be at least one person that reads it (and maybe more) and they are going to hate it. There is no way on this earth I can write something that will please everyone who reads it. That is completely impossible.

I’m also in a position where writing is not my full time gig. Sure, I’d love it to be, but it’s not, and I can’t make a living at it. It’s my side job, my joy, but it’s not my main source of income.

With those two truths combined, I’ve come to the conclusion that, for the first time since I started this journey, I actually and completely believe: I’m going to write the story I want to write. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Okay, yes, there’s something to be said about writing what will sell. I mean, people are going to have to want to buy it. That’s the only way a publisher will pick it up, and that’s the only way I’ll make any money at all. But! And here’s the beautiful part; I know that there are readers out there who’s brains work like mine. Who want to read the same things I do, and therefore, will want to read what I write.

So the haters can hate. I’m not going to stop them and I’m not going to try to change their minds. I’m not writing for them anyway.